Overview

• Calum Macdonald, 23, recounted seeing a “kaleidoscopic, blinding light” the day after accepting free vodka and whisky shots at Vang Vieng’s Nana Backpackers Hostel in November 2024 before losing his sight.
• Six people died, including British lawyer Simone White; among the victims were two Danish women, two 19-year-old Australians and a 57-year-old American.
• Macdonald is urging the UK Foreign Office to issue clearer, destination-specific warnings and he cautions young travellers to avoid spirits and free drinks in regions where tainted alcohol is a risk.
• The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says it already highlights dangers from methanol and counterfeit alcohol through its travel advice and the Travel Aware campaign.
• Methanol is a colorless, hard-to-detect industrial alcohol whose effects can mimic intoxication, with severe symptoms often appearing 12–48 hours after drinking, and early treatment with antidotes and dialysis is critical.